APPROACH

From Design to Build: predictable engineering

Q: Why don't you start with code right away?

Without understanding the task, code solves the wrong problem. Discovery (for new product) or Audit (for existing system) give clear boundaries, architecture, budget, risks — and a fixed price for development. Protection for both sides.

Q: I don't have a spec — will you help write it?

Yes, that's Discovery. Over 2-4 weeks the engineering team conducts interviews, designs architecture and UX, prepares the spec + fixed price for MVP development.

Q: How long does Discovery take?

2-4 weeks for a typical product. Express (1 week) for very simple ones, up to 6 weeks for multi-tenant SaaS or regulated domains (fintech, medtech).

Q: Can we agree on a fixed price BEFORE Discovery?

No, and deliberately. Without design, any fixed price will be either overpriced (insurance against unknowns) or lead to scope creep. Discovery is the path to a reliable fixed price.

Q: How do you ensure quality in the Build phase?

The same team that designed — builds. Demos every 2 weeks, automated testing, code review, performance budgets from the start. After launch — Evolve subscription with SLA.

We don't write code until architecture, timeline and budget are locked in. This cuts the cost of errors and gives you a fixed price before Build starts.

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What typically goes wrong in software delivery

Teams often jump straight to code. Two-three months in: requirements drift, scope creep, hidden technical debt. By release: 1.5-2× budget overrun, fragile architecture and a product that's hard to evolve.

Why we work this way

The cost of fixing a bug in production can be up to 10× higher than fixing it during design (industry research). That's why we invest 1-4 weeks in Design before the first commit — it pays back in delivery speed, budget predictability and final product quality.

Four phases of work

Diagnose → Design → Build → Evolve — each phase ships a clear deliverable at a fixed price

Diagnose

1-2 weeks · fixed price

Study the system or the problem. Identify architectural risks, bottlenecks, assumptions and technical debt.

Deliverable

Report with risk map and recommendations

Design

2-4 weeks · fixed price

Architecture, tech stack, roadmap. Lock features, timeline and budget in the contract before Build starts.

Deliverable

Technical spec + fixed-price proposal for development

Build

Two-week sprints

Execute according to plan. Same team that designed. Demos every 2 weeks, direct access to code and task tracker.

Deliverable

Production-ready product

Evolve

Post-launch

Support, monitoring, new features. Performance audits and refactor cycles as load grows.

Deliverable

A system that grows with the business

How this differs from typical development

What contractor engagements often look like — and how we do it

Typical	WIZICO Tech
Start with code — architecture decided on the fly	Design first — fixed price before the first commit
Different contractors for different phases	One team from Diagnose to Evolve
Requirements firm up as you go — scope grows	Scope locked in Design — change requests are transparent
Budget — an estimate within ±50%	Budget is fixed before Build starts
After release — a different contractor for support	Evolve is a continuation of the same contract

Where to start

Diagnose is a standalone product with a fixed price and a clear deliverable. You can stop after any phase.

Performance Audit

Is the system ready for traffic growth? Bottleneck analysis and peak-load scenarios.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Architecture Review

Risk map, technical debt and a refactor plan. Before major changes or scaling the team.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Infrastructure Audit

Cloud cost optimization and reliability. Performance, security, FinOps.

1-2 weeks · fixed price

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Discovery (for a new product)

From idea to architecture and a fixed-price proposal for development.

2-4 weeks · fixed price

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Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't you start with code right away?

I don't have a spec — will you help write it?

How long does Discovery take?

Can we agree on a fixed price BEFORE Discovery?

How do you ensure quality in the Build phase?

Start with diagnostics

To assess risks before major investment — order a 1-2 week audit. Fixed price, clear deliverable.

Discuss project

Related resources

Article: how to build complex software systems

Software architecture review

Discovery: project analysis and spec